


Reality Check

by Azeran



Series: Marvel Slash [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Loki is under a lot of stress, M/M, They all really need to talk things out, Thor is overbearing but sweet in his own way, Tony helps as much as he can and nearly gets his ass kicked for it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-13 20:08:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2163567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azeran/pseuds/Azeran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Loki is my responsibility! My burden to bear!” </p><p>Seriously? "He's not a burden," Tony snapped. The tension in the air thickened between them, almost palpable enough to touch, but he didn't care. Thor treated Loki like he was some great weight tied to his wrists that was either set to drown him, or be forcibly dragged to the surface and molded anew until the prince just caved and did whatever his so called brother wanted him to. Which was never going to happen. He wasn’t that kind of person. Not anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reality Check

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been wanting to do a thing with Tony and Thor both for a while now, and I finally got around to doing it. Hurray! This was actually fun to write; I love me some dramatics. ;D 
> 
> Disclaimer: Marvel is not my property, which includes Thor, Loki, and Tony Stark. I wish I could own them all, but alas, that is a dream never to be realized. So fanfiction shall have to suffice!

"STARK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY BROTHER?!"

Well shit. "Jarvis, enable the fingerprint scanners. I don't want anyone getting in or out of this room unless it's me, or Loki." Ignoring the AI's acknowledgment, and the sound of the locks engaging, Tony adjusted the tinted visor over Loki's eyes and leaned over his form, pretending not to notice how it ever so slightly trembled on the glass slab. "Ignore him. I'll handle this. You just focus on what's going on in here, alright?" 

"Anthony..." Loki's pale hand brushed his neck, warm and grappling for comfort as it traveled over his pulse. "Thor won't go away. You know this. He's a stubborn mule, and he's already seen-"

"All he's seen is what probably looks like some really kinky foreplay. If that." Grasping the hand in his own, Tony adjusted the metal cuff wrapping Loki's wrist. "Your brother may be a glorified sex god, but he doesn't strike me as the type to enjoy anything more than a hasty fuck. He probably doesn't even know what bondage is." He got a smile out of the trickster, at any rate. That was better than nothing. "Relax. Alright? I won't let him see anything. This is all private. Once I walk out of here, the blinds go down. You're the only one who gets to see whatever goes on in this room. Scout's honor." 

The reference went over his head, but that didn't stop Loki from taking comfort in his words. "As you say." Relaxing slightly, his head lolling against the cool glass, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, letting it out again in a soft gust of air. "Lets get on with it then."

Right. Because he had a lot to look forward to once he stepped out those doors. But Loki was ready, and that's what mattered. "Ok. You know the drill babe. When things get too uncomfortable, or if you start to panic, just press the button on the cuff and I'll shut everything down." Tony raked his fingers through the black tresses spilled across the table like warm ink, vaguely aware of the sound of fists pounding against the door. The room was designed to contain Hulk, but Thor was definitely putting that to the test. "Everything will be fine. Trust me, alright? I'll take care of this." 

Of him. The distinction wasn't missed, nor was Tony's real meaning. He kissed Loki's knuckles comfortingly and then backed out of the room. It had an air lock, mostly for security; Tony fed the scanner his fingerprints before passing through the double doors to get to the adjoining room, where Thor was waiting. And he looked furious. Great. 

"You know, this room's supposed to be soundproof. I guess that doesn't apply to Norse gods though. You have a voice that naturally carries." He bypassed the hand that tried to grab him and made for the control panel, flipping the switches that turned on the room's automated controls. Good thing they were. It took a few seconds before Thor had him by the collar of his t-shirt and was slamming him up against the window looking into the other room. Thankfully the glass was treated; they could see in, but Loki couldn't see out. Tony was damn grateful for that now. 

"STARK." Thor's growl struck like lightning, crackling uncomfortably against his skin. "What have you done to my brother?!"

"Brother? Last I checked, Loki was still renouncing your kinship," Tony muttered. It earned him no favors, Thor's grip tightening and straining his collar until his toes were left scraping the floor. "Alright, calm down!! Calm down! I didn't mean anything by it. You're his brother." His overbearing, annoyingly protective brother. This is why people shouldn't have more than one child each. Tony rubbed his neck and frowned at the man towering over him, Mjolnir clutched in his other hand. Fantastic, he'd brought the indestructible hammer along too. That made things more complicated. "Look. I know what this looks like, but let me explain before you go all crazy and start smashing everything in sight. We don't need another Hulk incident on our hands."

He didn't lower Mjolnir, but Thor did set Tony down on his feet. Baby steps. He could work with this. Even though his lover was undergoing emotional therapy in the next room, and could honestly freak out at any moment. He was calm. Tony craned his head back to meet Thor’s gaze, refusing to flinch beneath those cloudy blues. Yeah. Perfectly calm. “I will have your explanation, NOW. But be warned, Tony Stark. If I dislike what I hear, it will be on YOUR head.”

On his head. Charming. Tony grimaced, smoothing out his collar. The things he suffered for the sake of sentiment. Were it under any other circumstances, Loki would probably be laughing at him right now. “Ok, that’s fair. But I can’t tell you what you want to hear, buddy. You know me. I’ll tell it like it is, even if the truth hurts. You deserve that much.” Which didn’t mean he wouldn’t edit out details. Thor didn’t need to know everything. He and Loki were family, sure, but neither Tony nor the trickster put much into familial kinship and their woe begotten ties. …Wow. He was spending too much time around Loki. Tony wouldn’t be surprised if he started quoting Shakespeare at this rate. And he was getting off track again. Dammit. “Listen. What’s going on in there is Loki’s business. Every decision made is by him. He’s got the reins here, big guy, not me. I’m just the supervisor.” 

Clearly his words went right over the thunder god’s head. “You speak in riddles. My brother has worn off on you,” Thor growled, looking at a spot over Tony’s shoulder. It took him a second to remember that the room was still visually accessible, but he put a quick stop to that, subtly pushing a button on the chrome colored panel that made the glass shimmer with electric blue energy and then gloss over with an opaque glow. It didn’t go over very well. “You would deny me my right to look upon him?!” 

“Yeah. I would. You aren’t on merry old Asgard anymore. We mortals do things a little differently. For starters, we don’t spy on our relatives and invade their personal space. Here, people have rights. Particularly the right to privacy.” Tony crossed his arms and faced the thunderer, matching the stubborn set of his jaw to perfection. “I’m not going to let you spy on him just to sate your own curiosity. Sorry. That’s not the way I work.” Not when it was this important. Besides, if Loki ever discovered that he’d broken his word, he’d find his ass flying out another window, and this time WITHOUT any armor. 

“It is not curiosity!! Loki is my responsibility! My burden to bear!” 

Seriously? "He's not a burden," Tony snapped. The tension in the air thickened between them, almost palpable enough to touch, but he didn't care. Thor treated Loki like he was some great weight tied to his wrists that was either set to drown him, or be forcibly dragged to the surface and molded anew until the prince just caved and did whatever his so called brother wanted him to. Which was never going to happen. He wasn’t that kind of person. Not anymore. "You really don't understand what's happened to him, do you? Hell, I'd bet you never did. Loki's as much a mystery to you now as he ever was, except this time he broke free of that stupid mold all you in Asgard had him forced into. Trickster, brother, shadow. The blackened side to your royal coin. Did nobody ever stop to think that that's not what he wanted? Or did you even care?"

"Do not spit your insanity at me! Loki was always loved! He is my brother, my kin! I have stood at his side for centuries, and he at mine! We played together. We fought TOGETHER. Dare you question our bonds?" 

Oh yeah. He dared. “That’s the part you’re not getting. All those happy memories you two supposedly shared? They don’t matter anymore! Not to Loki. He can’t see those times as anything good, when he’s got the gigantic lie that’s his entire life hovering over his head! The lie all you guys fed him, time and time again. It smacks him in the face every time you try to remind him that you’re brothers.”

“We ARE brothers!” Thor roared, slicing a meaty hand through the air. Tony couldn’t be sure, but he swore he heard thunder off in the remote distance. Hopefully a long, LONG way from the tower. Not that that mattered much, when the guy who could channel it to his fists was only two feet away. “Why do neither of you understand this? Loki is my brother! He will always be my brother!! Nothing will change that, Stark. Nothing!”

“Nothing?” Tony crossed his arms, unperturbed. His next words were going to cut deep, but Thor needed reminding. Things weren’t the same between him and Loki anymore. Times changed, and so did people. “So you’re perfectly ok with being the brother to a red eyed Smurf? Because I find that pretty hard to believe myself, with all the stories Loki’s told me.” 

He really needed to start remembering that his references were useless against Asgardians. “What madness are you spouting now? What stories? Nothing we endured together would cause Loki grief.” Though Thor didn’t look so sure about that. Maybe Tony was imagining it, but he thought he heard a hint of doubt in the god’s voice. 

“Nothing at all? Really? Because Loki remembers things a little differently.” Disbelieving, he arched a dark brow. “How about all the stories your dear old dad told about his battle days, huh? Loki told me you two used to go with him to look at all the spoils of war, including the casket that belonged to his birth father. You looked at it in awe, and then bragged about how you were going to slay all the frost giants when you became king.” He got the pleasure of seeing Thor blanch a little, and it egged him on. “Sound familiar? He also told me that you guys used tales of the Jotnar as your version of scary stories. They were your boogeymen. Your monsters in the night. But now you wonder why he hates being reminded of his past? Is it even a question? HE’S the monster you all wanted to slaughter! Loki, your BROTHER.” 

Thor stepped back, a horribly wounded expression on his face. It was like kicking a defenseless puppy dog, and Tony felt terrible. But he needed to hear all this. Thor had to understand, for Loki’s sake. “It doesn’t matter how much you claim to love him, Thor. All Loki can think about right now is that he’s lived a lie his entire life. He was never going to be king. He was never even one of you, no matter how many times you argue otherwise! He’s just the monster parents tell their children about at night.” 

“NO!!” The furious cry rang in Tony’s ears, drowning out the sound of Thor tossing his hammer aside and grabbing him by the neck, creating a whole slew of bruises he knew he was going to have fun explaining later. When he could breathe properly, that is. Tony choked beneath the fingers digging into his skin, scratching at them futilely with his nails. If Thor felt it, he damn well didn’t care, holding him tighter as he bent over the inventor’s gasping frame. “Do you think I ignore my part in this? I know what I did, Stark. I know! But mine was the foolishness of youth. I understood not what my actions would cause, and who they would hurt. Loki did! He saw that I would drive the realms to ruin with my actions, and he fought to save them. Save ME!” With a grunt Thor tossed him away, flushed with anger and the crackle of electricity, turning his blue eyes to terrifying thunder clouds. “His true heritage matters little. Flesh or not, Loki is my brother!! Do you hear?! He is MY BROTHER! And you will NOT call him monster while I live to strike you down!!”

“……..We’re in the same boat then. Thor, I don’t give a damn what your brother is. Asgardian, Jotun, whatever. He could be a talking wolf for all I care. To me, he’s just Loki. Chaotic and crazy, sure. But that’s what makes him--him.” Thor’s eyes widened with surprise; not the answer he was expecting? Probably. “Don’t tell me you really thought I cared about him being a Jotun? Thor, buddy, an alien’s an alien. Give me fangs and claws, or snakes for hair. It wouldn’t make a difference to me.” It was on the tip of his tongue to say that he’d been seen way freakier things in the bedroom, but that might lead to uncomfortable questions, and more choking on Thor’s part, so he decided to keep that to himself. 

“You--truly do not care?” Suspicion clouded every word, but Thor didn’t act like he was going to go for the jugular anytime soon. Good thing too. The throb in his throat told Tony that he was going to be hoarse for several days after this, if not longer. He rubbed the bruised skin, groaning softly. Loki was going to freak. It was worth it though. Loki liked to complain about his brother’s mental incompetence and volatile temper, but Tony thought Thor was pretty well holding his own. Anyone else might be freaking out right now. Disregarding the momentary temper tantrum on his buddy’s behalf, things were progressing way more smoothly than he would’ve originally thought possible. That was, again, disregarding Thor’s previous reaction. Tony forgave him for that. 

“Nope. It doesn’t matter to me. Either way, it’s still Loki, right?” Reading the god’s expression almost perfectly, all the regret and relief, Tony turned back to the control panel, fairly certain he wouldn’t have to worry about Mjolnir getting slammed into the delicate instruments anytime soon. Fidgeting with one of the dials on the console, Tony saw that the readings were in the negatives. Loki was fully in the cold zone. “Mission control, we’ve hit subzero…”

“Sub…zero?” Another set of eyes turned onto the tiny monitors set into the metal, attempting to make sense of the numbers blinking there, white as snow. Thor still wore a dazed look of confusion, as if he was trying to make complete sense of what was going on, but one thing remained the same. He was concerned for his brother. That’s all that mattered to Tony. “I will ask you again, this time as a friend,” Thor murmured, grave sentiment hanging from every word. “What are you doing to my brother?” 

There was no way for him to answer, except honestly. Yet if there was one thing Tony and Loki agreed on, it was that the best lie was the truth, just in varied form. “Before I tell you anything, lets get one thing straight. Everything I say here is in the strictest of confidence. Got that? You don’t repeat a single thing I tell you, not to anyone, and especially not to Loki. If he wanted you to know the details, he’d tell you himself.” Tony scrubbed the nape of his neck, noting the dial drop lower and lower. Any normal person inside the room right then would die of hypothermia within a minute of exposure to the biting cold. “Loki….needed a reality check. He’s been confused lately, about what--who he is. The Jotun thing has been really getting to him. On the one hand, he’s super pissed at your dad and Asgard, so being an Aesir doesn’t sound all that great anymore. But being the monster in all your scary stories isn’t a much better option.” 

“Loki is NOT A--”

“I know that Thor. I’m not saying he is. That’s just what he thinks. Or rather, what he thought. We’ve been working on it.” More like Loki had been working on it, while Tony kept a watchful eye on him. If things went too far, he needed to be there to shut it down, get Loki out safely. It would be wise to leave that part out when he better explained things to Thor. “Neither of us will ever understand what it was like for him, what he went through. All we can do is be supportive. Loki needs to know that no matter what he does, or what he is, we’ll give him nothing but unconditional love and support. Otherwise,” Tony frowned, catching Thor’s eye. “We’ve already seen what can happen when he feels rejected, unwanted. I’m pretty sure no one wants to go through that again.” 

“Aye…..I feared the worst, when I saw Loki again, after the bifrost. He was lost to himself, and to me.” Unless it was a trick of the light, Tony swore he saw tears glittering in the blue expanse of Thor’s eyes. But that couldn’t--oh. Nope. It was. He was crying. Only a little bit, thankfully, but that was more than enough to make the inventor uncomfortable. “I never want to see my brother in such a state, ever again. If you can help him, I would be most grateful. I worry for Loki’s peace of mind. His happiness means the world to me.”

If only Loki could hear all this. Tony reminded himself to ask Jarvis for the footage later. “I don’t know if he’s necessarily ‘happy’, but he’s doing better. He just craves security, Thor, in himself and in others. You, me, the other guys. We need to be there for him. Especially now, when he needs it most.” He nodded to the foggy window; the corners were crusted over with a sheen of bluish ice, and more of it was creeping across the bottom. They shouldn’t have been able to see it. That was the point of cloaking the glass. Loki’s natural elemental magic must be tampering with it. It was growing stronger with every usage, but if Loki kept it up much longer he’d panic, throw a fit. That…could be bad.

“…Ice?” Thor laid a palm on the glass, grimacing as the cold seeped through his skin. “Loki is testing his other form, isn’t he? That is why the locked room, your precautions.” He took his hand away; the tips of his fingers were stained blue, though it faded quickly enough on its own. 

“Yeah. It was his idea.” Tony shrugged. “Loki needed somewhere he could safely take off the glamour’s and practice with his natural abilities, without worrying about anyone else finding out, causing a scene. So I offered him this place. It’s on my floor of the tower. He and I are the only ones with security clearance to enter that room, and I had Jarvis turn off the cameras inside. Nobody knows what goes on in there, except us. And I never have a visual inside.” 

“Then what is it that you do?” 

“The usual. Keep an eye on the stats, make sure things don’t get out of control. I’m also in charge of pulling the plug when Loki asks me to.” Tony tapped the thermostat. “This room was designed to contain Bruce if he ever needed somewhere to let off some steam, which made it the prime candidate to cover Loki’s needs. It’s completely closed off from the outside world, triple locked against intruders. Nobody gets in there without our say so.” Or out. Thor didn’t need to know that though. “I can control the conditions inside the chamber from out here, make it hotter, colder, whatever Loki needs. We’ve been experimenting with colder temperatures lately, trying to get him better acclimated. He’s making great progress. He could go swimming in the Arctic and it’d feel like he was taking a warm bath. I think it helps him too, when he’s in his Jotun form. Without taking the room down to the negatives, he starts to get tremors, feel weak--” seeing the angry frown already taking shape on the thunderer’s face, he hastily put up his hands. “Relax. If he’s in there, it’s cold. I’m not here to torture him, Thor. This is for Loki’s sake. He wanted all this. It’s helping him get more comfortable in his own skin.” 

Whether or not Thor believed him, he didn’t question it further. His attention was almost purely on the window now, seemingly captivated by the thick tendrils of frost that were spiraling all across its surface. “This is Loki’s power…..that of his Jotun form.” The blue tint to his skin didn’t bother him now; Thor paid it little mind, splaying the entirety of his palm against the glass as a soft, surprised hiss brushed the air. “Jotunheim..”

“That’s his home, right?”

“Asgard is Loki’s home. Jotunheim is a realm of endless cold, and ice that stretches as far as the eye can see. Were I not assured of my brother’s heritage, I could never believe him borne to that place.” Sorrow briefly overtook Thor’s tongue, grafting to every word until they clung to them heavily. “It is no place for him.”

“Maybe not. That’s for Loki to decide.” Tony clapped his shoulder, sensing the brother’s doubt. “You can’t make his decisions for him. We all have to find our own way. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help him out. Loki needs you, Thor, even if he never shows it. You just have to…back off a little. Instead of reminding him of the past, focus on the future. You guys can make new memories to replace the old. Better ones. Memories that don’t make him want to--” he caught himself on the final word. Not out of fear, or paranoia. It was Loki. He’d activated his bracelet, and a red light was blinking on the wall, casting him and Thor in a disquieting glow. 

And just like that, Tony snapped into action. “Right. Therapy time’s over. You need to get out of here, Thunderdome. Loki’s ready to come out.” Tony switched the controls off, checked the readings. Negative seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Jesus. Thor hadn’t moved from his spot either. Things just got better and better. “Listen, I’m not going to argue this with you. Loki doesn’t want anyone to see him like this if he can help it, and you’re last on his list to sneak a peek. If it makes you feel better, I promise to swing by with him later to show you he’s ok, but right now Loki needs his privacy. Got that?” 

“Nay. I appreciate what you have done for my brother, Tony Stark. Never shall I be able to repay you. But I wish to see for myself that Loki is well.” He left Tony no time to argue, readying himself near the door to await Loki’s exit. Unfortunately, the ass always had impeccable timing. Tony heard the locks disengage at Loki’s touch and sighed, fully aware that there was a good chance he’d get his ass kicked for this. “..Brother?” A harsh cloud of ice crystals flooded into the room when the door swung open, almost entirely hiding Loki from sight. Thor persevered, pressing forward, joined by Tony as the trickster took a step into the room. He’d gone too far, Tony could already tell. Loki was trembling from head to toe, his cheekbones unusually on display with pearly white skin drawn taut over their contours. If Thor’s rough growl was anything to go by, he wasn’t the only one who thought Loki looked like hell. 

Another shaky step brought the exhausted brunette before them. His dark hair hung stiffly against his cheeks, moisture condescing on the tips and dripping steadily onto his chest. Tony could see hints of navy receding near his temples and fingertips, a fact neither male pointed out, holding their silence until Loki finally sighed and unsteadily reached for Tony, offering the quickest glimpse of black as pitch nails before that color too returned to their normal ivory hue. “Anthony….”

“It’s alright babe. Everything’s fine, just like I promised.” Tony pushed past the blond and offered Loki his arms, which he welcomed almost too eagerly, clinging to them until Tony wrapped them around his waist and accepted the sagging weight of the trickster’s body against his own. “You were in the seventies today. That’s colder than the Arctic. I guess you’re gaining more control over it, huh?” He loosened the straps holding the visor in place and tossed it to the side, tucking a few strands of hair behind Loki’s ear. He felt ice cold, too much so to be normal. “Fuck, you’re freezing. We need to get you warm.” 

“Warm…yes. That would be nice,” Loki muttered. The final tint of blue faded from his flesh, leaving it flawlessly clean, if not a touch paler than normal. That might have had something to do with the fact that he’d set eyes on Thor though. “…….You’re still here…”

Thor nodded, slowly approaching the two of them. “I had to see that you were alright. You had me worried.” Catching the way Tony warily watched him, clutching the god closer to his chest, he stopped and simply stared at Loki instead. “Brother. Stark told me of how he has been looking after you.” 

“Did he?” 

“He did.” Which wasn’t something Thor needed to talk about. Tony glowered at him, shifting a nervous gaze to Loki from the corner of his eye. He didn’t seem angry, not that that meant anything. But--no. He was tired, not angry, lips twitching at the corners in a semblance of a smile. Good. Tony sighed in relief and jostled the raven haired man more comfortably into his arms, half debating whether or not Loki would let him pick him up when his brother was around. Probably not. Unfortunate, since he didn’t really care. 

“Ok, the family moment’s cute and all, but we need to get him upstairs.” One good sweep had Loki limp in his arms like a rag doll, his head falling against Tony’s shoulder. There were weak protests on his part, and a glare that was more cute than intimidating. Tony could live with that. Loki was all but asleep anyway. What he couldn’t live with was overprotective Thor hanging around and making things awkward. “Thor, why don’t you check the kitchen and see if we have any hot chocolate left? I bet Loki could use something warm to drink right about now. Nuke some pop tarts while you’re at it. Lokes, you’ll love the brown sugar ones. They’re delicious, and they go perfectly with chocolate.” 

Loki sleepily murmured something that sounded semi compliant into his shirt, getting a tender smile from both Tony and Thor in return. The latter reached out to touch Loki’s arm, adjusting the hem of his shirt sleeve and skimming the skin beneath. “He is tense. After a particularly vigorous battle, I always find a warm bath revitalizing. You might consider letting him soak in your pool with the strange, vibrating jets. It would soothe his limbs most agreeably.” 

“Pool with the--oh! The jacuzzi. I’ll have to adjust the temperature so he doesn’t get overheated, but that’s not a half bad idea. Thanks Thor.” Damn. Look at Thor being all helpful. Were Loki not almost passed out, he’d be criticizing him, and trying to push him away, the stubborn idiot. 

“You are welcome.” Thor turned to leave, picking up Mjolnir as he went, but something stopped him a foot from the door. Hesitating, he reached up and unfastened the scarlet cape flowing down his shoulders, offering it forth with a smile that Tony could only describe as permissive. “If I may? Our capes were both crafted from the finest wool cultivated from Vanaheim. This will keep him warm, until you find something more suitable to cover him with.” 

Holy crap, that was the cutest thing Tony had ever heard. He was so going to get cavities with these two hanging around. “Go for it, big guy.” He lifted Loki’s prone figure a little higher, and Thor approached with the cape, tucking it around him with a gentleness that was surprising, considering his size and demeanor. Things were different when it came to them though. They were different. Tony had never realized how much so until he saw Loki asleep and swathed in vivid scarlet, his cheek nustled into Tony’s shirt. “Damn…..”

“He is adorable, is he not?” Thor smiled. Suddenly he didn’t look all that intimidating, Mjolnir or not. 

“Yeah, he is. And I can say that without fear of something horrible happening to me, since he’s safely asleep.” Tony nuzzled the top of Loki’s head, peering at the thunderer over dark strands of hair. “So…….upstairs? He didn’t freak out or anything, which is about all the permission you’re going to get if you wanted to join us. We can share some pop tarts, have a few cups of hot chocolate, if Clint hasn’t drank it all by now. I want to get him more warmed up before I dunk him into the jacuzzi anyway. Otherwise he might go into shock, and you’ll start threatening me with Mjolnir again.” He was joking, but Thor actually did look remorseful, shaking his head. 

“I apologize for my actions. It was never my intention to harm you, Tony. But what I saw in that room…I assumed the worst, and reacted in a manner ill befitting a prince of Asgard.”

“Don’t worry about it. Trust me, I would’ve done the same thing if I were in your shoes.” Tony hitched Loki’s head closer to his own, stroking the line of his jaw. “You know, you’re not the only one who cares about him Thor. Loki’s important to me too.” And---Tony really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut, because Thor was eyeing him suspiciously, and with a strange sort of knowing--fuck. It didn’t matter that Thor and Loki weren’t related. He was really starting to see the family resemblance. After centuries of being together, it only made sense that Thor was bound to pick up a few habits from Loki. Or, uh, traits, more like. “Guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh? Can we save the ’I’ll kill you if you hurt him speech’ for later? Preferably after he’s tucked away in bed, and can’t hear my screams of pain.” 

Thor chuckled, then clapped him on the back so hard that he nearly toppled over. “Worry not. I have seen enough here today to know that what you say is true. You care deeply for my brother.” He was all smiles and joy, save for the threatening undercurrent that was laced through his praises. “I trust you to look after him, Tony Stark. You will guide him, and help Loki where I cannot. I only ask one favor. When he awakens, do not tell him what was said between us. I would have him come to me of his own accord, rather than from coercion, or some nonsensical sense of guilt.” 

“….Sure. You got it.” Tony didn’t know what else to say, glancing from Thor to Loki, then back again. He kind of felt like an intruder, ruining a brotherly moment between them. He was also still waiting to get his ass pummeled into the floor for desecrating Thor’s baby brother. “Uh…” 

Luckily Thor spared him any more awkwardness and nudged him towards the door, heading out before him. “I will ensure the kitchens are clear for our use, and find the confections you requested. See to his comforts first, and join me when you are ready.” He vanished into the hall outside in a blur of metal and shadow, leaving Tony to follow after him with the sleeping Loki in his arms, Thor’s cloak whispering against his knees. It was a momentary silence; Tony drank it up, sorting out the frayed ends of his brain in order to tie everything back together. And the synopsis of the day was staggering. Loki got through things no worse than usual, but Thor showed up. Tony almost got the life choked out of him, until he explained things, which nearly got his ass kicked halfway across the world. Yet, all in all, things didn’t work out so badly. Except that Thor knew he and Loki were kind of a thing, sort of--

Tony groaned, affectionately bumping his head against Loki’s. “Looks like you’re not the only one getting a reality check today babe.” Whatever. He could worry about it later. Right now he had a tired god to attend, and a cup of hot chocolate with their names on it.


End file.
